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The Songhai Empire was a state located in the western part of the Sahel during the 15th and 16th centuries. At its peak, it was one of the largest African empires in history. The state is known by its historiographical name, derived from its largest ethnic group and ruling elite, the Songhai people.
This distinct self-reference contrasts with the prevalent classification often encountered in Western literature. It may have been influenced by the Songhai word's popularity, given that the Songhai Empire was named after the ruling caste, the Songhaiborai, which is a subgroup within the broader ethnic Ayneha community.
According to oral history, the Songhai nobles came to be known as "Songhai" during the reign of Sonni Ali Ber. The name was coined from his name to form a tribal name for the ruling caste. The main factions of the Songhai are the "Si Hamey" and the "Mamar Hamey".
The title Askia [b] (Arabic: اسكيا) is of unknown origin, [10] but had been in use since the early 13th century, if not earlier. [11] It may derive from an arabic word for 'general.' [12]: 253 The Tarikh al-Sudan provides a folk etymology for the title, claiming that Askia Muhammad invented the title himself based on the lament of Sonni Ali's daughters when they had learned he had seized ...
The seventeenth century chronicles, the Tarikh al-Sudan and the Tarikh al-fattash describe the history of the Songhay people and provide lists of their rulers. The Tarikh al-Sudan gives a list of the earlier rulers of the Za dynasty, whose founder Za Alayaman lived before the 10th century and the arrival of Islam.
The Zā dynasty (also rendered Dya, Zuwā, Zu’a, Juwā, Jā’, Yā, Diā, and Diu’a, sometimes equated with the Zaghe) were rulers of the Gao Empire based in the towns of Kukiya and Gao on the Niger River in what is today modern Mali; and rulers of the Songhai Empire through Sunni Ali, son of Za Yasibaya (Yasiboi), who established the Sonni Dynasty.
Daoud continued to expand the empire, but less aggressively than some of his predecessors. [6] He reorganized the army and led at least 20 military campaigns, most of them successful, projecting Songhai power throughout the region and bringing massive quantities of booty and slaves back to Gao. [9]
The Songhai (also Songhay, Songhaytarey (, [soŋhajtaraj])) is an area in the northwestern corner of Niger's Tillabéri Region populated mainly by the Songhaiborai. [1] It is considered the heartland of the Songhai people and the sanctuary of their ancient pantheon and priestly class and the place in which the original lineage of the Sonni dynasty retreated after the coup d'etat of 1493 ...